Guide
How to track website visitors for free
Last updated: 8 August 2026
You want to know if anyone is actually visiting your site. The usual answer is Google Analytics, which means creating an account, pasting a script, and adding a cookie notice. There is a simpler option. Every MakeMySiteLive site has built-in page views turned on already, on every plan, including microsites. Here is how to read them and what they do and do not measure.
What you’ll need
- ✓A published MakeMySiteLive site or microsite. Built-in views work on both.
- ✓Nothing else. There is no script to paste and no account to create.
Steps
- 1
Open your site in the dashboard
Go to the site you want to check. The Growth tools card sits just below the stat tiles at the top of the page.
- 2
Read today's count
The Views item shows today's page views and a seven-day sparkline, so you can see the shape of your traffic at a glance without opening anything.
- 3
Open the full chart
Select View analytics for a daily breakdown. Free sites keep the last 7 days. Pro sites keep the last 90 days, which is enough to see whether a change actually moved anything.
- 4
Check what is being counted
Views count real page loads. Known bots and crawlers are filtered out, so the number reflects people rather than scrapers inflating your stats.
- 5
Turn it off if you prefer
Built-in views can be disabled per site at any time. Nothing is collected once it is off.
Frequently asked questions
Does this cost anything?
No. Built-in page views are included on every tier, including free sites and microsites. Only the retention window differs: 7 days on Free and 90 days on Pro.
Do I need a cookie banner for this?
Built-in views do not set advertising cookies or build cross-site profiles. If you add an external provider such as Google Analytics or Meta Pixel, that is a separate decision and you may need to update your privacy notice or collect consent.
Will bots inflate my numbers?
Known bots and crawlers are filtered before a view is recorded, so the count reflects real visits rather than automated traffic.
What if I need more than page views?
Connect a full analytics tool as well. Pro sites can enable Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Microsoft Clarity, or Meta Pixel from the same Growth tools card. See the guide on adding Google Analytics to a static site.
Does turning views on require republishing?
No. Growth tool settings apply to the live site immediately. Your active version is untouched and no new version is created.
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